Schaumburg is a large suburb northwest of Chicago with over 80,000 annual visitors and 100 different parks. The park district is also home to an award-winning 27-hole golf course, Schaumburg Golf Club & Academy. In 2023 alone, the course saw over 70,000 rounds of golf played on its grounds and with such a large amount of traffic to the park district, Schaumburg saw a need to protect visitors with a more reliable lightning detection system.

The need for reliable lightning safety

Before Perry Weather, Schaumburg Park District used an outdated lightning detection system that would consistently go down which required park staff to consistently monitor the health of the system.

This was an inconvenience for both Erin Chapa, Superintendent of Facilities, and Johnathan Parsons, General Manager of Golf Operations, and it left park-goers, golfers, and park staff at risk anytime the system went down.

In order to fix this, Schaumburg replaced their old system with Perry Weather, increasing lightning safety at the park district and giving the team more time back in their day.

Protecting park visitors with automated lightning detection and alerts

When Perry Weather detects lightning in the area, it sends mobile alerts to the Schaumburg staff and sounds the outdoor warning systems across parks and facilities with Perry Weather warning sirens so that everyone in the area can be informed and seek shelter. Perry Weather has increased lightning safety for Schaumburg Park District in multiple ways:

• Automated lightning notifications – Set up alerts to receive immediate notifications and text messages with automated instructions when lightning is detected
• Outdoor warning systems – Alert everyone in the area via loud horns and visible strobe lights, engage quiet mode during off-hours to avoid disruptions
• Lightning countdown timer –  See how much time is left in a lightning delay, the timer restarts with each new strike and displays an all-clear signal when it is safe.

“It’ll detail how long a lightning delay is, it will show the countdown, it will even show the radar and where the lightning strikes in our five-mile radius. It’s very seamless, very easy to use.”

Johnathan Parsons, General Manager of Golf Operations

• Speech-to-text PA system – Type a message into the Perry Weather mobile app, and have it announced over the outdoor warning system. Choose specific parks to target or broadcast across the entire district.
• Live radar – Monitor severe weather patterns up to 48 hours in advance and get a real-time look into where strikes are occurring during a storm.

Automating weather safety and reducing staff workload

Before Perry Weather, Schaumburg Park district used Strike Guard to protect their parks from lightning. The system was prone to going offline and required constant monitoring. The staff was left with questions, having an incomplete view of the weather conditions and how they would affect operations.

With Perry Weather, the staff can now monitor the weather for their location directly from the app and make safety decisions themselves when needed. For Erin Chapa, this has significantly reduced the amount of time that she has to take fielding calls and questions from employees around the park district.

Planning events with confidence using Perry Weather’s meteorologist support

With a park district as large as Schaumburg, planning for events can be a challenge, especially when the weather can vary drastically between each location. Whether the staff at Schaumburg are planning an upcoming park event or golf tournament, Perry Weather can clear up the confusion that comes along with bad weather.

• Advance Forecasts – The Perry Weather team gives you notice when there are storms that may affect your activities before the storm hits.
• Custom forecasts – Perry Weather meteorologists are available 24/7. Call, email, or message through the Perry Weather app to get custom forecasts ahead of important events.

“One of the things we love about Perry Weather is the meteorologists. Having them on standby and being able to tap into them. Phenomenal. You can use what the meteorologist suggests for a storm coming in, and I can email it all to the staff.”

Erin Chapa, Superintendent of Facilities, Schaumburg Park District

Keeping Golfers Safe at Schaumburg Golf Club & Academy

Bad weather can be a frustration not only for the staff of a golf course but also for golfers. Perry Weather offers several tools and integrations that allow members to view the weather conditions and lightning delay status from anywhere, reducing the confusion that comes along with storms:

• Perry Weather widget – The course can integrate the widget into their member app or website so that anyone can view Perry Weather from their phone.
• Golf cart screen integration – Perry Weather integrates with EZ-GO and Club Car, giving golfers the ability to monitor weather conditions and receive alerts directly through the cart’s onboard screen. When lightning is detected near the course, visual alerts automatically display on cart screens, accompanied by outdoor warning system sirens, signaling golfers to return to the clubhouse.

Aside from being a major improvement over Schaumburg’s prior solution, Perry Weather has simplified the way the district manages weather-related safety.

The switch to Perry Weather has improved lightning detection and streamlined weather communication, giving the staff more time to focus on their jobs.

With the benefits of real-time alerts, 24/7 meteorologist support, and easy-to-use integrations, Schaumburg Park District is now better equipped to protect its community.